According to Stéphane Réau, deputy technical director at SODIMAS, 3D
printing is integral to the company’s design chain as it allows the team
to perfect parts early when iterations are required quickly and
cost-effectively. This crucially enables SODIMAS to accelerate its
time-to-market and strengthen its competitive edge.

“With Stratasys’ FDM-based 3D printing solutions, our CAD engineers can
send designs directly to the Fortus Production 3D Printer and have the
printed parts in their hands in just a few hours for testing,” Réau
explains. “To put that efficiency into context, using traditional means,
we would previously have been looking at around a 15-day lead time
before having the part ready to validate for design and fit – so we’ve
basically slashed this from two weeks to two or three hours.”

Testing 3D Printed Functional Prototypes Before Manufacturing in
AluminumAfter several years of utilizing its Dimension 1200es
3D Printer for the manufacture of small prototype parts, the company saw
an opportunity to expand its 3D printing prowess with the installation
of Stratasys
Fortus
450mc 3D Printer. This has increased the company’s prototyping
capacity thanks to the large build tray and extensive range of advanced
thermoplastic materials, including the high-strength ULTEM 9085 3D
printing material.

“All of our lift cabins are made from aluminum, but the concept and
development for the frames is achieved using Stratasys 3D printing
solutions,” says Réau. “We design and produce the parts that are used to
assemble the lift’s ceiling, walls and floor, simultaneously. Once we’ve
3D printed each part, we’re able to quickly check the design and
assembly for the correct fit, before proceeding to manufacture the lift
in aluminum.”

Innovation Going Up with 3D Printed Tools and Production PartsAnother
area in which SODIMAS deploys its Stratasys 3D printing solutions is in
the production of custom manufacturing tools to maintain production
efficiency.

“We’ve probably produced upwards of 15 different tools from the
super-tough ULTEM material, which have become indispensable to our
workflow,” continues Réau. “These include jigs used as guides during the
fine-tuning of component parts within a larger assembly, where, for
example, a line operator might need to quickly remove a specific part,
adjust it and then replace it in exactly the same place. This isn’t as
straightforward as it sounds, but having the 3D printed jig ensures it’s
replaced in exactly the right position and keeps production running
smoothly.”

For SODIMAS, in addition to its ongoing success using Stratasys FDM 3D
printing technology in the current applications, the company plans to
harness the full capabilities of its Fortus 450mc 3D Printer for the
production of single-run, final production parts in its elevator
systems. This, the team hopes, will further bolster its service offering
by enabling it to reduce inventory with 3D printed spare parts and
create unique, custom designs.

“We will continue to leave the standardized, long-run production to our
competitors,” explains Réau. “Our goal is to continue to work with those
architects and designers who, in some cases, envisage the lift as the
signature feature of the large scale projects on which they are working.
Should these professionals wish to create, for example, an elaborate
custom-made call button panel, then we can confidently say that we have
the technology and advanced materials to bring their creative
aspirations to reality. The sky really is the limit.”

For more than 25 years, Stratasys
Ltd . (NASDAQ:
SSYS ) has been a defining force and dominant
player in 3D printing and additive manufacturing – shaping the way
things are made. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Rehovot,
Israel, the company empowers customers across a broad range of vertical
markets by enabling new paradigms for design and manufacturing. The
company’s solutions provide customers with unmatched design freedom and
manufacturing flexibility – reducing time-to-market and lowering
development costs, while improving designs and communications. Stratasys
subsidiaries include MakerBot and Solidscape, and the Stratasys
ecosystem includes 3D printers for prototyping and production; a wide
range of 3D printing materials; parts on-demand via Stratasys Direct
Manufacturing; strategic consulting and professional services; and the
Thingiverse and GrabCAD communities with over 2 million 3D printable
files for free designs. With more than 2,700 employees and 800 granted
or pending additive manufacturing patents, Stratasys has received more
than 30 technology and leadership awards. Visit us online at:
www.stratasys.com
or
http://blog.stratasys.com/ ,
and follow us on
LinkedIn .